Grille arrangement for clean rooms

ABSTRACT

The invention relates generally to clean rooms and relates specifically to a grille and grille securing means construction, particularly adapted for use in clean rooms, wherein the grille securing means comprises at least one magnetic fastener which secures a grille over a duct opening into a clean room.

United States Patent [1 1 [111 3,752,055 Shuler Aug. 14, 1973 54] 3,566,526 I 3/1971 LaViolette 248/206A GRILLE ARRANGEMENT FOR CLEAN ROOMS [75] Inventor: Bernard R. Shuler, Louisville, Ky. [73] Assignee: American Air Filter Company, Inc.,

Louisville, Ky.

[22] Filed: Jan. 7, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 216,036

[52] US. Cl 98/114, 98/DIG. 8, 248/206 A [51] Int. Cl F241 13/00 [58] Field of Search 98/114, DIG. 8;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,203,338 8/1965 Dry 98/114 3,509,812 5/1970 James 3,416,761 12/1968 Shanoketal Primary Examiner-Meyer Perlin Assistant ExaminerRonald C. Capossela Attorney-Robert W. Fletcher et a1.

57 ABSTRACT The invention relates generally to clean rooms and relates specifically to a grille and grille securing means construction, particularly adapted for use in clean rooms, wherein the grille securing means comprises at least one magnetic fastener which secures a grille over a duct opening into a clean room.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 GRILLE ARRANGEMENT FOR CLE-ANROOMS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The provision of a satisfactory arrangement for securing grilles over duct openings in walls of clean rooms has presented a number of problems. One problem has been that the commonly used exposed fasteners have detracted from the appearance of the exterior wall. Another problem has been that holes must be drilled through the exterior flange of the grille, through the ductwork opening communicating with the clean room, and into the wall, to implement the securing of the grille thereto by screws or other fastening means. Grilles so fastened to walls in clean rooms are troublesome and time consuming to remove for cleaning and sterilization, as well as to remove to gain access to the ductwork in communication therewith. The present invention provides a grille and fastening means which substantially eliminates the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In its simpliest form the invention provides a coupling device for coupling a grille member to a wall member said grille member including a plurality of orifices for the passage of air therethrough, and said wall member being perimetrically attached around an opening in a wall, said coupling device comprising:

an open faced U-shaped channel connected to one of the aforesaid members and positioned between said members to align said grille member with said opening in said wall;

a plurality of rectangularly shaped magnets attached to the other of the above said members at preselectively spaced locations to nest within said U-shaped channel to removably couple said grille member by magnetic attraction securely to said wall member.

More specifically, the present invention comprises in combination: a grille and securing means for securing the grille over an opening in a wall, the grille including a plurality of orifices for the passage of air therethrough, and the securing means including (a) open faced U-shaped channel members .adapted to be attached to the outer face of the wall at the periphery of the opening to receive the grille and to align the grille and the opening;-and (b) rectangularly shaped magnetic fastening means having their longitudinal axes parallel to the grille and being fitted between the legs of the U-shaped channel members at preselectively spaced locations to removably hold the grille by magnetic attraction securely to the U-shaped channel members. The arrangement of this invention is a straightforward, inexpensive, readily constructed and easily maintained method of installing a grille over a duct opening in a clean room which can be easily adapted to accommodate different wall thicknesses and different grille sizes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a partly broken isometric view of a grille installed according to the present invention in a fragmentary section of a wall; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken in a vertical plane passing through the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, corresponding to FIG. 2, showing an alternative arrangement of the elements of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The illustrated fragment of wall 14 having outer face 16 is provided with a rectangular opening dimensioned in accordance with the requirements of the ductwork communicating therewith (not shown). In the practice of this invention open faced channel member 11 is attached to the wall in parametric relationship with the opening. Grille 10, having orifices 12 arranged in a grid-like pattern allowing air to pass therethrough, is then secured into place over the opening by several magnetic fastening means 13 which are provided at spaced locations within the channel of open faced channel member 11'. In the illustrated embodiment two such magnetic fastening means 13 are shown in association with the top edge of grille 10. Other magnetic fastening means (not shown) are associated with the side and bottom edges of the grille in the same manner. It will beappreciated that magnetic fastening means 13 may be spaced other than as shown, such as one magnetic fastening means for the top edge, one for the bottom edge, and one for each of the side edges. Each of the magnetic fastening means illustrated includes a magnet portion 17 attached to open faced channel member 11 by screw means 18. Open faced channel member 11 is generally U-shaped in cross-section and has a generally L-shaped flange from extending fro the outer most leg thereof. The L-shapetl flange 25 faces inwardly toward outer face 16 of panel wall 14 to provide a decorative border around grille 10. Typically L- shaped flange 25 will have a step or inset as shown at 15 (FIG. 2) which will be described in more detail hereinafter. L-shaped flange 25 functions primarily to hold grille 10 in a fixed vertical position over'the ductwork opening on the panel wall 14. Fastening of open faced channel member 11 to panel wall 14 is accomplished by drilling holes through the back portion of channel member 11 intermediate with magnetic fastening means 13 and attaching said channel member with screws or like fastening means.

Optionally shield means 20 may be positioned adja cent to magnet portion 17 of magnetic fastening means 13. Shield means 20 is preferably a U-shaped member facing outwardly surrounding the back and ends of magnet portion 17 and being of a preselected size so so that the surface of nesting grille 10 and face of L- shaped flange 25 lie in a common plane. Also the various sections of L-shaped flange 25 surrounding grille 10 may be preselectively spaced to form a snug fit with grille I0 and thereby provide a leakproof seal around the periphery of grille 10. Such a leakproof seal-prevents dust from being deposited in channel member 11 from air passing around grille 10.

To install grille 10' in the opening in the panel wall,

it is simply positioned with its outer edges in alignment with the various magnetic fastening means. The magnetic force of attraction between the fastening means and the grille being sufficient to securely fix the grille to the panel wall.

From the foregoing the advantages of the invention may be readily appreciated. The grille may be removed with convenience to allow it to be cleaned and sterilized and to allow easy access to the ductwork andrelated equipment in communication therewith. Such an arrangement is not limited to use in clean rooms but is particularly applicable for use in hospitals, or wherever cleaning and sterilization are important.

Further it can readily be appreciated from the disclosure of the present invention that two channel members, encircling the entire room and vertically spaced appropriately to secure a grille section therebetween, may be used to fasten a plurality of grille sections in end to end fashion around the entire room. In such a situation an impression of symmetry will be created even though only a few ductwork openings will actually be present.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed 1. A coupling device for coupling a grille member to a wall member said grille member including a plurality of orifices for the passage of air therethrough, and said wall member being perimetrically attached around an opening in a wall, said coupling device comprising:

an open faced U-shaped channel connected to one of the aforesaid members and positioned between said members to align said grille member with said opening in said wall;

a plurality of rectangularly shaped magnets attached to the other of the above said members at preselectively spaced locations to nest within said U-shaped channel to removably couple said grille member by magnetic attraction securely to said wall member.

2. The coupling device of claim 1 wherein said magnets have their longitudinal axes parallel to the edges of said grille member.

3. A grille arrangement for clean rooms comprising in combination: a grille and securing means for securing said grille over an opening in a wall, said grille including a plurality of orifices for the passage of air therethrough, and said securing means including (a) open faced U-shaped channel members adapted to be attached to the outer face of said wall at the periphery of said opening, said U-shaped channel members also including L-shaped flanges extending from the outermost legs thereof in perimetric fashion said L-shaped flanges having an inset to receive said grille and to align said grille and said opening said inset being sized to correspond to the thickness of said grille so that the exposed surface of said grille and the face of said L- shaped flange lie in a common plane; and, (b) rectangularly shaped magnetic fastening means having their longitudinal axes parallel to said grille and being fitted between the legs of said U-shaped channel members at preselectively spaced locations to removably hold said grille by magnetic attraction securely to said U-shaped channel members.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said open faced channel members are preselectively located on said wall to form an air tight seal with the outer edges of said grille to prevent air passage therebetween.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the said magnetic fastening means includes a magnetic portion and outwardly facing U-shaped shield means surrounding the back and ends of said magnetic portion to protect said magnetic portion from excess wear and abrasion.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said securing means comprises only horizontally located channel members preselectively vertically spaced with respect to each other to engage in fastening arrangement the upper and lower edges of grille sections arranged in end to end fashion encircling a room. 

1. A coupling device for coupling a grille member to a wall member said grille member including a plurality of orifices for the passage of air therethrough, and said wall member being perimetrically attached around an opening in a wall, said coupling device comprising: an open faced U-shaped channel connected to one of the aforesaid members and positioned between said members to align said grille member with said opening in said wall; a plurality of rectangularly shaped magnets attached to the other of the above said members at preselectively spaced locations to nest within said U-shaped channel to removably couple said grille member by magnetic attraction securely to said wall member.
 2. The coupling device of claim 1 wherein said magnets have their longitudinal axes parallel to the edges of said grille member.
 3. A grille arrangement for clean rooms comprising in combination: a grille and securing means for securing said grille over an opening in a wall, said grille including a plurality of orifices for the passage of air therethrough, and said securing means including (a) open faced U-shaped channel members adapted to be attached to the outer face of said wall at the periphery of said opening, said U-shaped channel members also including L-shaped flanges extending from the outermost legs thereof in perimetric fashion said L-shaped flanges having an inset to receive said grille and to align said grille and said opening said inset being sized to correspond to the thickness of said grille so that the exposed surface of said grille and the face of said L-shaped flange lie in a common plane; and, (b) rectangularly shaped magnetic fastening means having their longitudinal axes parallel to said grille and being fitted between the legs of said U-shaped channel members at preselectively spaced locations to removably hold said grille by magnetic attraction securely to said U-shaped channel members.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said open faced channel members are preselectively located on said wall to form an air tight seal with the outer edges of said grille to prevent air passage therebetween.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the said magnetic fastening means includes a magnetic portion and outwardly facing U-shaped shield means surrounding the back and ends of said magnetic portion to protect said magnetic portion from excess wear and abrasion.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said securing means comprises only horizontally located channel members preselectively vertically spaced with respect to each other to engage in fastening arrangement the upper and lower edges of grille sections arranged in end to end fashion encircling a room. 